PUA:Win32/Alnaddy (Alnaddy Unwanted Application) — Virus Removal Guide

Written by Wilbur Woodham
If you spectate the alert of PUA:Win32/Alnaddy detection, it appears that your PC has a problem. All viruses are dangerous, with no deviations. Alnaddy is a malicious software that aims at opening your PC to further threats. Most of of the modern malware variants are complex, and can inject other viruses. Being infected with the PUA:Win32/Alnaddy virus often means getting a thing which is able act like spyware or stealer, downloader, and a backdoor. Seeing this detection means that you must to perform the removal as fast as you can.

Any malware exists with the only target – generate profits on you1. And the programmers of these things are not thinking of morality – they utilize all available tactics. Stealing your personal data, receiving the payments for the advertisements you watch for them, exploiting your CPU and GPU to mine cryptocurrencies – that is not the complete list of what they do. Do you want to be a riding horse? That is a rhetorical question.

What does the pop-up with PUA:Win32/Alnaddy detection mean?

The PUA:Win32/Alnaddy detection you can see in the lower right corner is displayed to you by Microsoft Defender. That anti-malware program is quite OK at scanning, however, prone to be generally unstable. It is unprotected to malware attacks, it has a glitchy user interface and problematic malware clearing features. Hence, the pop-up which says about the Alnaddy is just a notification that Defender has recognized it. To remove it, you will likely need to make use of a separate anti-malware program.

PUA:Win32/Alnaddy found

Microsoft Defender: “PUA:Win32/Alnaddy”

The exact PUA:Win32/Alnaddy virus is a really undesirable thing. It digs inside of your system under the guise of something normal, or as a piece of the app you downloaded from a forum. Therefore, it makes all possible steps to make your system weaker. At the end of this “party”, it downloads other malicious things – ones which are wanted by cyber burglars who manage this malware. Hence, it is impossible to predict the effects from Alnaddy actions. And the unpredictability is one of the most unwanted things when we are talking about malware. That’s why it is rather not to choose at all, and don’t give it even a single chance to complete its task.

Threat Summary:

NameAlnaddy Unwanted Application
DetectionPUA:Win32/Alnaddy
DetailsAlnaddy is a browser hijacker promoted via other free downloads, and once installed, it will change your browser homepage and default search engine to alnaddy.com.
This is not considered malicious as many legitimate programs also change these settings. What is deemed harmful, though, is that it will also append the argument Alnaddy.com to random Windows shortcuts on your desktop and your Windows Start Menu.
Fix ToolSee If Your System Has Been Affected by Alnaddy Unwanted Application

Is PUA:Win32/Alnaddy dangerous?

As I have actually stated previously, non-harmful malware does not exist. And PUA:Win32/Alnaddy is not an exception. This malware changes the system setups, edits the Group Policies and Windows registry. All of these things are vital for correct system functioning, even in case when we are not talking about Windows security. Therefore, the malware which Alnaddy contains, or which it will inject later, will squeeze out maximum profit from you. Cyber burglars can steal your personal data, and then push it on the Darknet. Using adware and browser hijacker functions, embedded in PUA:Win32/Alnaddy malware, they can make profit by showing you the banners. Each view gives them a penny, but 100 views per day = $1. 1000 victims who watch 100 banners per day – $1000. Easy math, but sad conclusions. It is a bad choice to be a donkey for crooks.

How did I get this virus?

It is not easy to line the origins of malware on your computer. Nowadays, things are mixed up, and spreading methods utilized by adware 5 years ago can be used by spyware nowadays. But if we abstract from the exact spreading method and will think about why it has success, the explanation will be pretty simple – low level of cybersecurity knowledge. People click on promotions on odd sites, open the pop-ups they receive in their browsers, call the “Microsoft tech support” assuming that the strange banner that says about malware is true. It is very important to know what is legit – to avoid misconceptions when trying to determine a virus.

Nowadays, there are two of the most widespread tactics of malware spreading – bait e-mails and injection into a hacked program. While the first one is not so easy to stay away from – you should know a lot to recognize a counterfeit – the 2nd one is simple to get rid of: just don’t utilize hacked apps. Torrent-trackers and various other sources of “totally free” applications (which are, exactly, paid, but with a disabled license checking) are just a giveaway point of malware. And PUA:Win32/Alnaddy is simply within them.

How to remove the PUA:Win32/Alnaddy from my PC?

PUA:Win32/Alnaddy malware is very hard to erase manually. It places its files in several places throughout the disk, and can restore itself from one of the elements. Moreover, a lot of modifications in the windows registry, networking settings and Group Policies are pretty hard to identify and revert to the initial. It is better to make use of a specific app – exactly, an anti-malware program. GridinSoft Anti-Malware will fit the most ideal for malware removal objectives.

Why GridinSoft Anti-Malware? It is really lightweight and has its detection databases updated nearly every hour. Additionally, it does not have such bugs and vulnerabilities as Microsoft Defender does. The combination of these aspects makes GridinSoft Anti-Malware perfect for removing malware of any kind.

Remove the viruses with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

  • Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware. After the installation, you will be offered to perform the Standard Scan. Approve this action.
  • Gridinsoft Anti-Malware during the scan process

  • Standard scan checks the logical disk where the system files are stored, together with the files of programs you have already installed. The scan lasts up to 6 minutes.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan results

  • When the scan is over, you may choose the action for each detected virus. For all files of Alnaddy the default option is “Delete”. Press “Apply” to finish the malware removal.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware - After Cleaning
How to Remove PUA:Win32/Alnaddy Malware

Name: PUA:Win32/Alnaddy

Description: If you have seen a message showing the “PUA:Win32/Alnaddy found”, it seems that your system is in trouble. The Alnaddy virus was detected, but to remove it, you need to use a security tool. Windows Defender, which has shown you this message, has detected the malware. However, Defender is not a reliable thing - it is prone to malfunction when it comes to malware removal. Getting the PUA:Win32/Alnaddy malware on your PC is an unpleasant thing, and removing it as soon as possible must be your primary task.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Unwanted Application

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References

  1. Read about malware types on GridinSoft Threat encyclopedia.

About the author

Wilbur Woodham

I was a technical writer from early in my career, and consider IT Security one of my foundational skills. I’m sharing my experience here, and I hope you find it useful.

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